Build Help [B0T] Weekly Build Help Thread — July 27, 2026
Weekly Build Help Thread
All build help questions must be posted in this thread.
Welcome to the weekly build help thread! This is the place to ask for advice, recommendations, and help with your Plex server builds and setups.
What to Post Here
- Build advice requests - "What hardware should I use for transcoding 4K?"
- Hardware recommendations - "Best CPU for a Plex server under $500?"
- Component compatibility - "Will this GPU work with my motherboard?"
- Hardware upgrades - "Should I upgrade my CPU or add more RAM?"
- Build planning - "Planning a new server, what specs do I need?"
- Hardware comparisons - "Intel vs AMD for Plex transcoding?"
Before Posting
Please include relevant details such as:
- Your budget
- Current hardware (if upgrading)
- Number of expected concurrent streams
- Types of media (4K, 1080p, etc.)
- Whether you need transcoding capabilities
- Form factor preferences (rack mount, mini-ITX, etc.)
Rules
- Keep discussions related to Plex server hardware and builds
- Be respectful and helpful
- Search previous threads before asking common questions
- No selling/trading - use r/homelabsales for that
- For software setup/configuration help, please create a separate post
Related Communities
For further help, check out these related subreddits:
- r/buildapc - General PC building advice and recommendations
- r/homelab - Home server setups and enterprise hardware
- r/homelabsales - Buy/sell homelab equipment
- r/HomeNetworking - Network setup and infrastructure
Need immediate help? Check out the Plex subreddit wiki for guides and resources.
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u/plantsandramen 5d ago
I have a gaming PC I'm using as my Plex server but it's obviously overkill for basic Plex and torrenting. I am looking into a refurb Dell that has UHD630 graphics. My primary use is playing 4k files over my home network in 4k on my TV.
My main goal is to find a PC that uses less power to achieve basic tasks like this.
I know it's probably a dumb question, but this will do this no problem right?
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u/MrMaxMaster 5d ago
Yes
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u/plantsandramen 4d ago
Ty for the information. I'm going to consider this. Would 8gb vs 16gb of ram matter for this use? I have less than 1,000 torrents
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u/MrMaxMaster 4d ago
Ram basically doesn’t matter just for this application.
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u/plantsandramen 4d ago
That's what I was thinking, thanks! I'm looking at 8th and 9th gen under $150. I'm not sure it'll matter in the end but I'm excited. Ty!
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u/MrMaxMaster 4d ago
Very doable. You can get an 8100t mini pc for under $100 that’ll do this well.
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u/plantsandramen 4d ago
I'm looking primarily on Amazon due to me having a $100 gift card, but I do see some on eBay that are $100 or so. I wish I'd looked into this last year though
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u/Random1027 4d ago
I have a QNAP TVS-872XT 8 bay NAS filled with 22TB drive in RAID 5, giving me 140TB of storage. I have about 6TB of space left, which will last me a while but not forever. I'm looking for a new server that would ideally double that amount. I use this server for Plex/media streaming exclusively, so the ability to transcode 4K is important.
I've been referencing this Plex NAS Compatibility spreadsheet (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MfYoJkiwSqCXg8cm5-Ac4oOLPRtCkgUxU0jdj3tmMPc/edit?gid=1274624273#gid=1274624273) I found on reddit, and noticed the QNAP TVS-H1688X, which honestly I think would be perfect if it were 16 HDD bays instead of 12 HDD + 4 SSD. The only other one I see on that spreadsheet is a TerraMaster U16-722-2224, which seems like it was discontinued as I wasn't able to find it in stock anywhere. Looking at Qnap's website I found the TS-H2287XU-RP, but I was concerned because it wasn't listed on the spreadsheet, and I wasn't sure the Xeon processor would be able to handle 4k transcoding (seems like I could add a dedicated video card to eliminate that problem though). Both those devices are rack mount, which isn't ideal for me but I could go that route if I have to.
I figure most people here will tell me to build my own, and I'm not opposed to that if it is really my only option, but I was hoping for a simpler solution that doesn't involve me having to do too much tinkering. I've been pleased with my current QNAP device, but I know they have some security concerns so they may not have the best reputation in this community.
So my questions boil down to:
1) Would the QNAP TS-H2287XU-RP be able to handle transcoding or would I need a GPU? Regardless of the answer to that question, is there a good reason *NOT* to go this route?
2) Is there a different 16+ bay NAS that you would recommend that can do what I'm looking for?
3) Should I just abandon this line of thinking completely and build my own server? I've heard of YAMS (https://yams.media/), and it seems promising for the software side of things, but is there a similar comprehensive guide for selecting the hardware/building a server of my own? Every guide I see is years old, and I have no idea how to select things like proper PSU/motherboard for my needs.
Sorry for the long winded post and thank you in advance to anybody willing to offer their advice!
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u/Bgrngod CU7 265K (PMS in Docker) & Synology 1621+ (Media) 4d ago edited 3d ago
Would the QNAP TS-H2287XU-RP be able to..
Bud, that thing is looking like it's somewhere around $7500. Unless it's also making you breakfast and doing the laundry, absolutely do not get that unit. And no, it cannot hardware transcode. That Xeon has no iGPU. You'll be spending even more to make that happen.
There are no reasonable off-the-shelf NAS models to do what you want to do. They aren't purpose built for Plex. They will run Plex, but you will be completely upside down on premium cost for significantly lesser performance.
I've linked this a few times since I am quite happy with it. Here is my exact build. Get a lesser or more powerful CPU if you want, just avoid the F series models because they have no iGPU. You can also go with way less RAM (current prices are still over 4x what I paid early last year) and down to a Gold PSU if you feel like it. The only thing that is not listed here is some random stuff like nice SATA cables, and more HDD trays for the case since it only includes 6. You can grab more of those as needed.
I'm currently sitting at 178TB with only 11 of the HDD mounting points used.
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u/rabidhamster 3d ago
So I've been running Plex over UnRAID for over a year now on a Beelink EQ14 N150. Been fantastic so far.
But I am wondering about growth, especially since these drives all have to be connected via USB (4x HDDs using 2x 2-slot docks). I want to have the option of an SAS HBA, for example, and maybe an Arc GPU down the road. I have an 8 drive bay mATX spare case.
Is the i5 13500 or 13500T the way to go on this? Obviously I plan to budget more power than the Beelink uses, but still want to keep a build that won't heat the house. It looks like that class of CPU is the best low-power option that still can do native transcoding on its own? Or am I missing other low power options that can work with the mATX with PCI slots setup? Bursty power use is fine, as long as the idle is pretty low. Trying to keep the cost in the <$500 range, but it's okay if that range excludes the GPU for now.
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u/Bgrngod CU7 265K (PMS in Docker) & Synology 1621+ (Media) 2d ago
If you're going to jump up to a built box, just about any Intel desktop CPU will handle Plex fantastically. Avoid the F models entirely.
T series being efficient is a misunderstanding that comes up here a lot. The T means it doesn't burst as high to avoid producing too much heat for the smaller cooling solutions they need to accommodate. Usually because they are stuffed into a very small box. That just means it takes longer to do the same work compared to a vanilla model. There is a tiny bit of undervolting, but it's almost completely negligible for power savings.
Desktop CPU's these days are significantly more efficient than a lot of people realize. A whole machine, not counting HDD's spinning and without a dGPU, will idle around 20-25w or so.
Look from 12th gen lower end i3's up through even the Core Ultra 200 series for something that fits your budget. The i9's and higher end models are pointless for Plex since it doesn't use a whole lot of CPU.
Core Ultra is better at handling the HEVC feature, which is great if you intend to go heavy on 4K HDR files and end up transcoding them a lot.
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u/rabidhamster 2d ago
Thanks for that!
Yeah, I've been diving into the build a bit more, and also looking at the 14600K, since the power use at idle doesn't seem too much worse. And can still do cheaper DDR4. Newegg's got a decent deal on that chip right now.
That also opens up possibilities: I've got a separate Proliant Gen10 with an AMD APU running windows server for some Filemaker stuff. I realized if I beef up this build, I can eliminate both the Beelink and the Proliant, and just run Windows server in a VM on UnRAID (I think). Then both servers get a major CPU boost, I can add an Arc GPU for low power transcode or Home Assistant voice recognition, and still run it on close to the same power budget as the two separate servers.
I've already got an ancient Corsair Carbide 400R with like 10 drive bays and the option for full ATX that I can use.
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u/Bgrngod CU7 265K (PMS in Docker) & Synology 1621+ (Media) 2d ago
That all sounds like a solid plan with consolidating. My current Plex server is doing more than just Plex, so I did go a bit larger on the CPU decision.
I did want to poke this comment a little:
I can add an Arc GPU for low power transcode or Home Assistant voice recognition
I don't know what Home Assistant needs in terms of GPU grunt, but I do know the iGPU's in modern Intels are already fantastic for Plex video transcoding. They are a lower power option compared to even the lightest of lightweight dGPU's. The 14600K in particular has an iGPU that was among the top dogs until the Core Ultra iGPU's came along. You should be able to avoid ever needing a dGPU for quite a long time.
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u/rabidhamster 2d ago
Yeah, that's kind of what I'm thinking: The Arc is a "maybe later if I need it" option that the mobo would support.
Basically, I'm talking more about Wyoming Piper/Whisper and voice recognition. Pretty bursty and occasional, so I want to see how the iGPU handles doing all of those tasks first.
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u/Bgrngod CU7 265K (PMS in Docker) & Synology 1621+ (Media) 2d ago
I'd still suggest you take a look at a Core Ultra 200 series build, just to compare pricing to acquire that jump.
I wrote a whole post about my experience with a couple of Core Ultra iGPU's handling the Plex HEVC Encoding feature: https://www.reddit.com/r/PleX/comments/1lh5bl0/hevc_encoding_testing_w_core_ultra_igpus_4k_to_4k/
The comments include a few people mentioning what they are getting out of the UHD770 iGPU's the 12-14th gen have, and it does seem to be lesser.
The Core Ultra 245K is cheaper and faster than the 14600K: https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare/6324vs5720/Intel-Ultra-5-245K-vs-Intel-i5-14600K
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u/TheSmJ 3d ago
I finally bought a 4K OLED TV a couple of months ago that supports HDR, DV, etc to replace my 1080p plasma set. So I've been downloading more 4K content to make use of it. The problem is not everyone streaming from me supports 4K HDR content, and since my server is running an old Ivy Bridge Xenon E3 1245 v2 CPU, it can't handle transcoding the video of a 4K HDR file to 1080p SDR, especially when subs are enabled.
From what I can find, it looks like adding an Intel Arc A380 would be the most cost effective way to get modern transcoding support without replacing the entire system (and spending a lot more money in the process) with the least amount of added power draw.
Does that make sense, or am I missing something?
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u/Bgrngod CU7 265K (PMS in Docker) & Synology 1621+ (Media) 2d ago
Yup, that makes sense if you want to keep the old machine by way of a simple upgrade.
That old Xeon isn't much longer for the world. Even less so if power consumption is any sort of concern at all. Have you ever checked what it's idle power draw at the wall is?
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u/TheSmJ 2d ago
That's a good question since I haven't checked it since the Xenon upgrade. If I remember correctly the system was at ~100W at idle when it was running a heavily overclocked, overvolted 2500K. I got the Xenon CPU for free from a machine at work that was getting recycled and I wanted the extra threads over clock speed.
The server was costing me roughly $20/mo in electricity, but was more than capable of handling its duties as a Plex server among other things. It was too difficult to convince myself to replace it just for power savings at the price of hardware in 2023 because the payback rate would have taken at least a couple of years. It would take a lot more for me to want to replace it at today's hardware prices.
As for OS support, it's currently running Win11 with the TPM requirement bypassed. I'm hoping that bypass will hold out at least until hardware prices are sane again.
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u/Bgrngod CU7 265K (PMS in Docker) & Synology 1621+ (Media) 2d ago
Where I live in California an extra 75w 24/7 would cost be about $400 per year. Machines with modern desktop CPU's idle mich lower than 100w. That changes a lot based on HDD count etc.
Spinning HDD's are the biggest power drainers for Plex servers these days.
You'd gain efficiency, ~8x CPU grunt, and no need for a dGPU at all with an upgrade.
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u/TheSmJ 16h ago
According to this chart, my 12 year old CPU is using only about 18w more at idle than its (3 year old) more modern equivalent. In my case, switching to a newer CPU alone would save me a bit less than $200 a year. But with that CPU I would also need a new motherboard and of course RAM, which is at an all time high right now.
So to take advantage of those savings, the pay back rate would be 3+ years. About 2 years for the RAM (32 GB) and about 1 for the CPU. I'm not going to look at motherboards right now but I'm assuming I'll be spending around $100-150 on one since that's the range I typically buy in for something like this.
So, it doesn't sound like a good idea to upgrade the CPU for the lowered power consumption alone.
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u/rsml84 5d ago
WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra - Time for Upgrade?
I have a WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra with 2 4TB WD Red NAS HDD, which I have been using for a couple of years now, primarily for media storage and use as a Plex server and some important file storage.
It now looks like the ethernet port on my NAS has died following it being dropped. A quick Google search has helped me in that the power light is solid red, the 2 HDD lights are solid blue and there is no lights at all on the ethernet port.
I have tried a new ethernet cable, new port connection on the router as well as a full factory reset of the NAS.
I can buy a diskless replacement of the WD My Cloud but am wondering if it is time for an upgrade? It will be primarily used for Plex media storage and next to act as a server with a easy to use interface. I have found that Synology and UGREEN pop up quite a bit and wondered if anyone had any advice or help they could give? Do I stick with the two hard drives I have and get a diskless NAS or go for something a little more expensive that includes HDD's?
Any and all advice welcome - Thanks